


My Blood

by wowiepanzeeee



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, And freckles, Elementary School, First Meetings, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pennywise (IT) Exists, Songfic, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, and he stuffs his mouth with cheez its, antisemitism from sonia, buildin forts, fight me, richie has blue eyes shush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 09:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21966832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wowiepanzeeee/pseuds/wowiepanzeeee
Summary: Richie and Eddie meet in elementary school and grow closer as time goes on.Even when they forget each other, they know their other half is out there.Each chapter is based on a line in 'My Blood' by Twenty One Pilots.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. When Everyone Deserts Your Fight (I'll Go With You)

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to My Blood by Twenty One Pilots and IT IS A REDDIE SONG
> 
> I love them and wanted to write about them growing up together.
> 
> I hope you like it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie's first day of school, and he's a little lost.

**_When everyone_ **

**_You thought you knew_ **

**_Deserts your fight_ **

**_I'll go with you_ **

"I could've taught you at home! But, noooo, I don't have the," Sonia let go of the steering wheel to make air quotes and Eddie stared in horror, wondering how somebody, especially his strict mother, could be so reckless, "'qualifications.'" She placed her manicured hands back on the wheel in perfect position and stared forward, face scrunched up.

Sonia Kaspbrak was not thinking straight as she drove her son to his first day of elementary school; specifically first grade. She had been adamant about him being homeschooled, saying public education was 'not right for my Eddie-Bear,' and 'a waste of time and taxpayer money.' However, as he began learning more, she quickly realized she had no clue how to homeschool a growing boy who asked waaaay too many questions about multiplication.

Eddie stared at his neatly folded, shaking hands that were having trouble resting in his lap. As the Kaspbraks got closer to the school, Eddie's head began to feel hazy and dizzy. He felt betrayed. _She's leaving me. All alone. I'll be alone._

Sonia turned into the school parking lot and drove past the student drop-off zone. As she pulled into a spot at the front, she rummaged around the glove compartment and pulled out a disabled tag to hang on the mirror. Eddie recalled her saying:

_"The government won't give me a tag, so I'll make my own damn tag."_

He didn't know why she needed a disabled parking spot if she wasn't disabled, but she knew best.

Sonia turned to look frustratedly at Eddie in the back seat. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

**-**

Eddie was the only student entering through the office door. Parents were meant to let their kids hop out and walk on their own to the building, not escort them into the school like Sonia was adamant on doing. A lady stood up behind the reception desk with a big smile. "Good morning, you two!" She looked to Sonia. "Just a quick note: in the future, you don't need to come inside with him. We like to give children their independ-"

"He needs me to walk him in." Sonia surveyed the office, her nose turned up. "He might get lost in this god-forsaken germ labyrinth."

It was obvious the lady was confused and frustrated, but she nodded and sat back down.

Eddie gripped his mother's hand tightly as he stared at all the new things bombarding him. From the intense lighting to the student art pinned to the wall, everything felt so unfamiliar. His eyes darted from side to side, anxiously watching the kids who walked to class without their parents. _I'm the only one with a parent..._ He cleared his throat and looked to his mother. "Momma, I can go alone."

A red-faced Sonia turned to him. "Eddie. You will get lost without me. You _need_ me." Her voice was beginning to get louder and kids began to stare, wide-eyed. Sonia stuck out her fat finger and pointed to the kids watching them. "You are not like these other children. You are very sick and require special care, or else you will never survive." She moved her finger and aimed it at Eddie. "Do not think FOR A SECOND that you can do this without me because you _WILL_ grow up disappointed."

Eddie's brown eyes, which were big to begin with, became huge as he felt tears threatening to fall. His lip quivered. _She's right. I'm being selfish. I don't know any better._

Sonia leaned down to his eye level as a tear rolled down Eddie's freckled cheek. She wiped it away with her thumb and gave him a gentle smile, very different from her aggressive demeanor a second ago. "You know this, Eddie-Bear. You know your momma is just trying to protect you." She smoothed a stray hair of his back into place. "Momma loves you with all her heart." Sonia planted a kiss on his forehead as they continued walking, almost to the first grade classrooms.

Eddie sniffled as he tried to calm himself down. He already felt embarrassed being with his mother, (which he was extremely guilty about), and now he was embarrassed to be crying.

-

Giving Eddie another kiss goodbye, Sonia let go of him. His hand felt empty and the overwhelming sense of loneliness immediately hit him.

_I can't do this on my own. Why is she deserting me? The only person who loves me is deserting me._

His classroom had about 15 other students, all hanging up their backpacks and socializing with each other. Eddie walked to the row of hangers and saw he had his own spot marked **‘Edward’** in a cool font. Unfortunately, his spot was taken by a hoodie that said 'Los Angeles' on the front. _S-Someone took my spot?_ He turned around to look for the teacher but was just in time to see a gangly, messy kid walking towards him.

"Is this your hook?" The kid took the hoodie and threw it over his head, making his dark hair more chaotic than it was before. "Thanks for letting me use it."

Eddie stood still, not sure what to say.

The kid wore huge thick-rimmed glasses that made his blue eyes larger. He was wearing a plain white shirt under a Hawaiian one covered in pink and blue pineapples. Eddie grimaced. It was hideous. The boy squinted, looking closely at the name above the hook, sounding out the letters. "Ed...W...Aaaard. Edwa-"

Eddie stopped him. "I-It's E-Edward. B-But just call me Eddie."

"Eddie...?" The boy looked to the ceiling with one eyebrow raised, thinking hard. Eddie could practically see the gears in his head turning. "How's that spelled?"

"Oh, uhh...It's spelled," Eddie took his pointer finger and wrote the letters in the air. It had always helped him visualize the word better, "E-D-D-I-E."

"Ayy...Dye...Ed...Dye?" The boy stared at Eddie with a confused, doubtful face. "Eddye?" It was obvious the spelling made no sense to him.

Eddie raised an eyebrow, knowing his spelling was perfect. "It's Edd _ee_ , not Edd _eye_."

The boy tilted his head like a puppy dog, his eyebrows scrunching together. "But the word 'die' is pronounced ' _dye_ ', not ‘ _dee_.’"

Eddie opened his mouth but immediately shut it. He didn't have a response to that. The boy was right. 'Die' is pronounced ' _dye_ '. He flung that to the back of his mind. Surely he'd have an answer by the end of the year. He jumped back to the previous issue, frustrated that they got off track. "Why was your sweater in my spot?" He began to sound a little snappy.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. My backpack took up all the room on my hook." The boy pointed to the next one over, marked **'Richard'**. A 'He-Man' backpack hung on it with a matching lunchbox dangling off.

Eddie took a deep breath. "You can hang your coat over your backpack. There's still hook space."

'Richard' listened to what Eddie said, but had always had a hard time listening if he didn't want to. "It was easier to put on your hook."

"Easier to put on my hook!?" Eddie's face scrunched up as the tip of his ears turned red. "Easier to p- You know what!? Just don't touch my hook again, got it?!" All his first-day nervousness had been replaced by irritation.

The boy giggled as he put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, Eds. I promise to not touch your precious hook." He spun around to leave.

"Thank y-" Eddie paused. "What did you call me?"

The boy paused and looked back. "Huh?"

"You called me something."

"What are you talking about, Eds?"

"E-Eds!?" A bright red Eddie marched up to 'Richard' and shoved his finger in his face, nearly touching his nose. He spoke in an irritated hush to not get in trouble. "Do NOT call me that. You understand, Richard?" He looked at his bed head. "Or is your mind just as messy as your hair?"

They were both frozen; Eddie's pointer finger in 'Richard’’s wide-eyed face. His shocked expression disappeared as his eyes softened and the corners of his mouth went up. "Oh, my God, you are the cutest thing on planet Earth."

Eddie pulled back, still furious, but now embarrassed too. "C-Cute?! I'm-I'm not cute!"

The teacher's voice could be heard from the front of the classroom, "Okay, everyone! Come and find your seat!" There were rows of tables that each seated two kids. Each spot had a name taped down, so the students dispersed to go find theirs.

When Eddie found his, he couldn't believe it. He was sitting right next to-

"Eds! We're table partners!" The boy beamed as he appeared next to him, causing Eddie to jump. "I knew you were special!"

**-**

Eddie sighed quietly as he glanced at his unfamiliar surroundings. 'Richard' was quiet next to him, (thank God) doodling in a notebook as the teacher spoke about the schedule for the year. _He's already not paying attention. Surprise, surprise._

"Everyone take out your notebooks and turn to a blank page. You're going to start the year by writing a few sentences about the person sitting next to you." Eddie stared at his desk as he saw the boy out the corner of his eye looking at him. "Just get to know each other. We'll do this until snack time."

All the students rummaged through their new school supplies for a notebook and pencil, and Eddie did the same. The other boy had his already out from using it as a sketchbook. "I get to learn about the real Eddie, huh? All your secrets and wildest dreams."

Eddie sighed. "No, you get to learn that my favorite color is yellow."

The boy pointed at Eddie momentarily and made a clicking noise before he turned to his notebook and got underway with writing his first sentence about Eddie. "Mine is blue, so you can write that down." He looked up and smiled. "See? We're a great team!"

Eddie couldn't help but give a small smile back. He thought of a question. "What's your favorite TV show?"

"He-Man and the," the boy looked up and put out his hands as though gazing at a huge sign covered in lights. He deepened his voice, pretending to be an announcer, "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE!"

Eddie couldn't help but laugh. "That voice was crap!"

The boy stuck out his tongue at Eddie. "So, so rude." He began to laugh as well.

Eddie paused the pencil on his paper as the tips of his ears went slightly red. "Uhhhh..." He cleared his throat and lowered his voice, embarrassed, "H-How do you spell 'universe'?" _He's gonna laugh. Oh, God, don't cry when he laughs._ Instead, he felt an arm push against his own.

"Here, I'll write it at the top of your paper." He scrunched his face as he concentrated on the letters. "U-N-I-V-E-R-S-E. Universe." He scooted his chair back and returned to his notebook. "It's a hard word. I only know it because the title is on my backpack."

Eddie smiled, thankful that the boy wasn't rude about it. _Maybe he's not that terrible._

"Richie, who got stuck with you this year?" A girl walked by, leaning on Eddie's desk. He noticed Richie's face turning red. The girl looked at Eddie, smiling. "Good luck being his partner. He's a nightmare." She began to giggle and so did a few other kids who had heard.

Eddie looked to Richie, and his stomach sank. Behind his forced smile, it was obvious that he was hurt by her words, but trying to stay strong and pretend nothing had happened. Eddie played along and pretended she never existed. "My favorite show is Thundercats. If you need help spelling it, just let me know. It's a long word."

A genuine smile appeared on Richie's face and he laughed a little when he realized Eddie was trying to make him feel better. "Yeah, I'll definitely need help."

Eddie scooted over, just like Richie had, and began writing. "T-H-U-N-D-E-R-C-A-T-S. There." He looked at Richie, who was now really close. He could see that Richie had freckles just like him and that his glasses were so scuffed up, anyone would think they were unusable. Eddie usually hated being anywhere near somebody who wasn't his mom, but he didn't mind it when he sat next to Richie. "Do you want me to call you Richie instead of Richard?"

A big grin grew on Richie's face. "Yeah! I'll show you how to spell it!"

-

Pieces of Cheez-It flew from Richie's mouth as he spoke. "Usually people say pineapple doesn't belong on pizza, but I tried it and really liked it! It was a bit strange but actually really, really good!"

Eddie grimaced at Richie's chewing. "Can you chew with your mouth closed?"

Richie paused, staring at Eddie and quickly swallowed. "Sorry." He took a sip from a small carton of milk. "Have _you_ tried pineapple on pizza?"

Eddie took a long slurp from his own carton. "My mom doesn't let me have pizza. She said it's unhealthy. And I'm lactose intolerant. _And_ I have trouble processing gluten."

Richie stared at Eddie, confusion painting his face, as all the technical terms flew over him. "She doesn't let you have pizza?! Dude, come to my house sometime! We'll have a sleepover and order pizza!"

Eddie looked shocked. _I've never been invited to a sleepover._ His heart began to race and he felt scared but excited at the new experience. "That...That would be cool!" He took a Cheez-It between two fingers and popped it in his mouth. He had never had the cheese crackers before, but there was something addictive about them.

"It's much easier if you just do this-" Richie picked up the small paper plate and bent it slightly before putting it above his mouth. He poured all the crackers into his mouth until they were stacked past his lips.

Eddie's mouth hung open as he stared and immediately started to laugh. The way Richie sat there trying to keep his mouth around the crackers like a chipmunk was the funniest thing Eddie had ever seen.

Richie glowed as he listened to Eddie laugh. He had finally made the stuck-up boy enjoy himself. Then Richie realized that he was trapped in this position with a full mouth of Cheez-Its. He imagined how funny he must look and began to laugh along with Eddie, causing the crackers to explode out his mouth and onto the table.

Eddie shrieked as saliva covered Cheez-Its shot towards him. Luckily, the classroom was loud enough that nobody was disturbed. "OH MY GOD, THAT'S DISGUSTING! RICHIE THAT'S SO GROSS!"

Richie continued laughing, now at the small boy who was fast-walking to the hand sanitizer dispenser.

When Eddie returned to the table, he was fuming. "I'm not gonna sit with you if you blow spit all over the table! That's so disgusting!"

Richie grinned. "Sorry, sorry. It was an accident, I swear."

Eddie sat back down, a grimace still painted on his face. "If you do that again, I'll leave! I mean it!"

"I promise it won't happen again, Eds."

"Okay, thank yo- EDS?! DID YOU REALLY SAY EDS AGAI-"

**-**

"Where'd you go to school last year?" Richie threw his legs forward and back; trying to get the swing moving.

Eddie just sat on the swing, looking at his hands in his lap. "I didn't go to school."

"What!?" Richie stared at Eddie, his eyes and mouth wide open in awe. "You mean this is your first time at school _EVER_?!"

"Yup." Eddie watched as Richie began swinging higher and higher. He tried to stay calm but felt panic forming. "H-Hey, that's really high up."

"I know! I'm going to see how far I can jump off!"

"Oh, Oka-" Eddie paused, then shot his eyes up to the messy boy. "JUMP?! YOU'RE GOING TO JUMP OFF?!" He stood up and tried to grab Richie's swing, but it was too late.

Richie was soaring through the air, screaming as he fell towards the ground. Once he landed on his knees with a 'thump,' he broke into laughter. Eddie was frozen in place and couldn't feel himself breathing.

"I bet I can do better than that!" Richie stood up and brushed the dirt off his knees to reveal some scrapes from the fall.

"R-Richie! Your knees!" Eddie looked for the nearest teacher, but there weren't any close by. He rushed over to Richie, his face painted with worry. "You need to go to the nurse!" Eddie grabbed Richie's arm and tried pulling him towards the building. "It's going to get infected and-and-and your legs will be amputated!" He turned around to Richie, who wouldn't budge. "Come on!"

A smile grew on Richie's face as he watched the smaller boy yanking his arm and frustratedly jumping up and down. His knees stung a little bit, but it was normal for him to have some scrapes. He'd usually let it be and just clean his knees later, but something about Eddie made him listen. "Okay, okay." He let himself be pulled towards the building.

**-**

"What did she say?"

"The nurse? She said that all it needed was a kiss on each knee from a little brown-haired boy and I'd be fully healed."

"What? Who woul-" Eddie paused, realizing Richie was joking. His cheeks turned red. "Y-You can't just say things like th-that!"

Richie giggled. "It's just a joke, Eds." He looked up at the clock and stared at it for a few seconds, trying to remember how to read analog clocks. "It's almost time to go home." He looked to Eddie. "I hope your first day wasn't too bad." He smiled, showing off his lack of baby teeth.

Eddie smiled back, realizing that he had enjoyed himself, more than he ever had while being homeschooled. "Yeah, I think I had fun."

In a second, Eddie was pulled into Richie's arms and squeezed tightly. Eddie tensed up but quickly relaxed. Richie whispered; sounding on the verge of crying, "I'm happy we met."

Eddie stood, wide-eyed, and wrapped his arms around Richie, returning the gesture. "Y-Yeah. Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it!
> 
> Twitter is @tegiebear


	2. I'll Grab My Light (And Go With You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie needs a little light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell yeah, I'm still writing this

**You're facin' down**

**A dark hall**

**I'll grab my light**

**And go with you**

"Momma, can I sleep over at Bill's tonight?" Eddie stood in the doorway to the living room, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "It's Saturday sooo, no school tomorrow."

From her reclining chair, Sonia Kaspbrak turned her chubby neck to look at her son. "The stutterer?" Eddie nodded but felt a small tinge of hurt in his chest. Why did his mother have to call his friend something so insensitive? "Who's gonna be there?"

"Uhhh...Just Bill an-and Stanley." He picked at a hangnail as he stared at the ground. _A lie._

She squinted her already tiny eyes. "Stanley?"

"S-Stanley Uris. He's the one with curly ha-"

"Ah, the jewish one." She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "I remember." Sonia sighed and looked longingly at the ceiling. "God can only hope that someday he sees the truth."

Eddie face twisted in confusion. He didn't understand a thing about religion, and had no clue why his mom shamed Stanley for wearing a tiny hat.

"And what about Bill's parents?"

Eddie cleared his throat. "Yeah, yeah they'll be there." _Another lie._

"What about...," She pursed her lips, "the Tozier boy?"

Eddie swallowed as he felt his chest thumping. "We're not really friends anymore." _The biggest lie._

Sonia squinted harder, watching her son's body language. Luckily, she had left her glasses in the kitchen and only saw a small, timid blob. "Okay. Bring your medicine and take it on time." She returned her attention to the television. "If they give you junk for supper, ask if they have something else." 

"Y-Yes." Eddie nodded quickly, a smile growing on his face. "Thank you, Momma." Determined, he ran upstairs to grab the biggest duffle bag he could find. He threw in his toothbrush, pajamas, and a change of clothes. Lastly, he gripped the comforter and flat sheet on his bed and yanked, causing a few stuffed animals to get rattled in the process. He tried to fold the blankets so they were smaller and easier to pack but in the end, he only managed to fit the fluffy comforter in the bag. He decided the sheet was still necessary so he rolled it up and securely tucked it under his arm.

With the duffle bag practically about to burst, he dug in his closet for his battery powered lantern. When Eddie found it, he scrunched his face, disgusted. It had been used in the clubhouse before, so it was still a bit dusty. He wiped it with his shirt. 

As he made his way downstairs, he paused. _My flashlight!_ He backed up and returned to his bedroom to scrounge underneath the bed. _There we go!_

He ran back downstairs and walked to his mom, pecking her on the cheek. "I love you, Momma." 

-

He was used to the walk, but it was much more difficult with the heavy items. He kept reminding himself, _It'll be worth it._

-

Finally at the house, he marched up the path to the front door. He stared forward, working up the courage to ring the doorbell. _Why am I scared? It's fine_. He took a deep breath and pressed the button. 

_*Ding Dong*_

Eddie bit at his lip as he heard footsteps coming to the door. The lock made a clicking sound and the door opened a crack, showing one blue eye peeking out. The door was quickly yanked open wider as Richie stood there, staring at the boy on the porch. "E-Eds?"

"Don't call me that." Eddie gave a slight smile, his dimples appearing. "Now let me in, butthole."

As Eddie barged in, Richie stumbled aside, opening his mouth to say something, but not finding the right words.

Eddie threw down the items he had dragged over. He peeked at his friend, immediately noticing how broken he looked. He appeared so empty that Eddie was sure the wind could knock him over. The dark bags under Richie's eyes contrasted with his usually sparkling, now dull, blue eyes. 

"You okay, Eds?" Richie looked to the pile of items Eddie had dragged in. "My house isn't the dump yard." 

Eddie scanned his friend's pale face and took note of the shine of tears. "Don't ask me if _I'm_ okay. What about _you_?" Eddie crossed his arms and looked sternly at Richie. "You haven't been at school this whole week!"

Richie looked at his friend and took a deep breath before trudging over to the living room and plopping down on the sofa. Eddie followed and carefully sat next to him, watching his every move. "My parents are in Mexico for a month."

Eddie's face scrunched quizzically. "So?" Richie lifted his hand and flicked Eddie's forehead. "OW! What was that for, you butthead!?" He placed his hands on his head, applying pressure to the 'injury.'

Richie smiled at the reaction he got from his friend, and already felt better. " _Soooooo_ , no one is here to take me to school."

Eddie pulled his hands from his forehead and looked at Richie, obvious anger growing behind his eyes. "What?! Is that even legal?"

Richie took a huge gulp of air and flopped down sideways, across Eddie's lap. "I have no idea." He looked up at Eddie before lowering his voice. "Honestly, I've been fucking lonely."

Eddie was shocked for a moment, not yet used to such a strong swear word. Richie's mouth was getting trashier everyday and it had noticeably been rubbing off on Eddie.

They sat in silence as Eddie absentmindedly ran his fingers through Richie's curly hair. He stopped as he remembered what he came to do. "Hey, sit up."

Looking more relaxed than before, Richie sat up and stretched. He cheeks was gotten a bit pink, embarrassed that a boy had been playing with his hair, but it felt too good for him to interject. He watched as Eddie hopped up and ran to the pile he dumped near the door. Scooping up all the items, he moved them to the living room. Richie looked over the pile. "You brought blankets and lights?"

Eddie shook out the thin blue sheet and draped it over the sofa. "We haven't built a fort in forever." He looked to Richie. "Let's make it the biggest on Earth." Eddie unzipped the duffel bag and pulled out his second blanket. "I brought some blankets because we'll need a lot of them." He looked up at Richie, half-expecting him to look confused, but instead, a smile took up his whole face.

"Okay, I'll go get the blankets off everyone's beds!" Richie did a little hop of excitement before running upstairs.

His chest felt warm as Eddie watched Richie climb the stairs on all fours, like a monkey. _It worked. My plan worked._

-

The boys worked together to push the sofa and bring in a few small tables to attach the blankets to. They draped one over the television so they could watch a movie within their fort. Shuffling through the VHS tapes Richie owned, they settled on watching the Loser's favorite: Ghostbusters. Eddie found some of the ghosts a little creepy, but was working hard to get over that fear. He was almost 12, which he told himself was much too old to be afraid of ghosts.

Richie shook out a huge fluffy blanket; the last one that wasn't part of the fort. "We'll keep this inside with the pillows."

Eddie smirked and let out a giggle as he watched Richie struggle to hold the blanket and pillows at the same time. 

Richie gasped dramatically. "Are you laughing at me, Spaghetti?!" Richie threw the pile at Eddie which was heavy enough to drag his small body down with it. 

He let out a squeak as he fell, then began flailing under the blankets. He yelled, slightly muffled, "Dude! I could've hit my head on a hard floor and gotten a concussion! What is wrong with you?!"

Richie looked down at an angry Eddie and his face was suddenly painted with regret. "Eds, I'm..." Unexpectedly, he grew a mischievous smirk. "...going to go make popcorn."

"YOU BUTTNUGGET! I THOUGHT YOU WOULD AT LEAST APOLOGIZE!" Richie was already in the kitchen by the time Eddie finished his rant. He heard the microwave turn on and decided it wasn't worth complaining any longer. He took a deep breath and turned to their fort which was huge, just as planned. A big grin grew on his face. 

They had agreed to go inside at the same time, but Eddie couldn't wait. He grabbed his lantern and flashlight and crawled inside. Placing the lantern in the middle, he fiddled with the switch until the light filled their fort. Eddie looked around, feeling as though he was in a home. _Our home we built ourselves._ He crawled out and ran towards the light switch and flicked it, draping the living room in darkness, except the center where their fort glowed a dim yellow. Eddie thought it genuinely looked beautiful.

"Okie dokie, popcorn's do-WOAH!" Richie eyes were wide open as he stared at the fort. Eddie grinned; thrilled by his reaction. He gazed at the glittering yellow light in Richie's eyes and across his pale skin. It almost made Richie look as genuinely beautiful as the fort. 

Eddie ignored that weird thought. 

Richie looked to Eddie; beaming. "It looks so cool, like a...like a spaceship!"

"A...spaceship?" Eddie tilted his head like a puppy. He had no idea how it looked like a spaceship.

"Whatever! Let's go in!" Richie grabbed Eddie's hand and excitedly dragged him to their fort. He got down and crawled, making sure the popcorn bowl didn't tip over. When they reached the middle, Richie's wide eyes scanned their surroundings. "It's like a house in here!" He moved his gaze to Eddie. "We practically built a house!" His grin grew wider, causing Eddie to do the same. "Let's just live in here forever!"

Eddie looked to the soft pile that Richie was sitting on. "Only if you don't hog the blanket and pillows."

"Nope, they're mine."

Eddie shoved Richie. "Gimme a pillow, butthead!"

"I think I'll keep them for myself!"

"Oh, no you won't!" Eddie dove towards the pile and grabbed one of the pillows, but Richie sat up and gripped the other side. "Asshole! Let go!"

Richie was laughing, relishing in Eddie's angry face and out of character swear word. Eddie tugged harder on the pillow, and Richie let go, sending Eddie backwards. Of course, Richie broke into laughter. 

Eddie angrily bounced up. He hugged the pillow tightly to his chest. "You laugh, but I got the pillow! So, technically you lose!"

Richie put up his hands in surrender, but still smiling. "You got me, you got me." He grabbed the blanket and threw half over Eddie. "And you've also unlocked blanket privileges."

Eddie rolled his eyes, his anger disappearing and a smile mirroring Richie's replacing it. "Asshole." He grabbed his flashlight and shone it forward onto the white tv stand. "Look what I learned." Richie carefully watched Eddie put his hand in front of the light and move his fingers in a way where the shadow he created looked like a monster; horns and all.

Richie's jaw dropped. "Woaaaah, how're you doing that?" Richie held out his own hand and tried to copy Eddie's fingers, but ultimately failed. "You have baby hands or something! I can't bend my pinkie like that!"

"I don't have baby hands. I'm just," he changed his hand to something where the shadow resembled a coyote, "more talented than you."

"What the fuck?! How are you doing that one?!" Richie once again attempted to bend his fingers into the correct position, and successfully managed after a few tries. "Ah, ha!" He put his hand in front of the flashlight and looked at the shadow it made. He wiggled the coyote's ears. "See? You're not the only talented one."

Eddie handed Richie the flashlight and began to get his pillow situated and fluffed before placing it close to Richie's and resting his head on it.

When Richie looked down at Eddie, his wide smile disappeared and his eyebrows creased in confusion.

Eddie stared back and felt panic rising in his chest. "What!? What's wrong?!" He quickly sat up. "Why're you making that face?!"

Richie smirked and looked at the pillow. "You weren't even worried about the pillowcase being clean."

Eddie looked at the pillow and felt his hands getting clammy. _How could I forget that?! Now there's dead scalp cells all over me and I have lice!_ Eddie felt a hand squeezing his arm, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Richie was laughing. "Don't worry! I changed the pillowcase to a clean one before bringing it downstairs." He let go of his arm once he knew Eddie had calmed down. "I knew you'd say something about it." He folded his legs and rested his elbows on them before placing his head in his hands. "But you didn't say anything, so I'm just surprised."

Eddie was surprised as well. _Why did I not bring it up?_ He looked at Richie and said in a low voice, "Thanks for doing that."

Richie lightly punched Eddie's arm. "You came all the way over here to cheer me up. The least I can do is make you comfortable." He turned his attention to the lamp and stared at the light. He took a deep breath before falling backwards, his head landing perfectly on the pillow, just touching Eddie's. Both boys felt comfort knowing the other was beside them. "I had a big fight with my mom before they left." He stared up at the blanket that acted as their roof. "As she was leaving, she..." He paused and took a deep breath.

The room became silent, minus the hum of the lantern. "Rich?" Eddie pushed himself up and turned his body to Richie. He settled sideways into the pillow and looked at Richie who had closed his eyes.

"She told me that she wished she never had a kid." Richie swallowed down a hiccup that was threatening to come out with tears. "Soooo, I've been sitting in the dark just hating myself." He opened his eyes and settled his gaze on Eddie's freckled face. A soft glow from the lamp fell over him and it looked as though Eddie was the source of light. "I'm not in the dark anymore, so that's good." He smiled gently.

Eddie smiled, glad to see his friend cheering up.

"Hey..." Richie leaned up on his elbow. "Promise you won't laugh."

"Huh?"

"I'm gonna say something pretty stupid so don't laugh."

Eddie's gaze was fixed on Richie, confusion painting his face. "Yeah, okay. I won't laugh."

Richie gulped, the room feeling as though it was squeezing him. "Pleeeease, don't la-"

"I said I wouldn't laugh, idiot!" Eddie glared. "Get to the point!"

"Okay, okay!" Eddie's outburst brought Richie a small smile. "I was sitting all alone and you came over and..." He paused. "It felt like I wasn't in the dark anymore." To Eddie's surprise, Richie began laughing. "But it's also that you brought an actual light with you and you put it in the actual dark."

Eddie stared at him, his eyebrows still furrowed. 

Richie noticed his confusion and began gesturing wildly with the arm he wasn't resting on, attempting to explain himself. "Like, you brought your lantern and placed it in the actual dark, but you also were like a light when I felt dar- Okay, now I realize this sounds like a dumb romance movie. Just...just drop it." Richie returned to lying on his back and staring at the blanket ceiling. 

Eddie turned over onto his back as well. "I...I think I get it. Your heart just felt dark, or something like that, and I have a light heart that came over and made yours light too." A small smile grew on his face. "But I also brought a real light that lit up your dark house." He turned his head to Richie, looking for confirmation.

Richie had his eyes closed, an uncomfortable frown on his face. "I guess...Let's just drop it."

Eddie closed his eyes as well. "I felt like I was in the dark the whole week. School sucks without you."

Richie chuckled weakly. "You miss me _that_ much, Eds?"

"Don't call me that," he snapped back. 

"Okay, Spaghetti."

Eddie turned his body. "That's worse! That's just a noun!"

Richie turned as well. "Smart little Eds using the words we just learned."

Eddie's face went red as he stammered, "I-I knew about nouns when I was, like, 4."

"Yeah, I bet you did," Richie responded sarcastically.

"Asshole, just shut up," Eddie spat as he fell onto his back once again and rested his head on the clean pillow. Richie knew Eddie's harsh words had been a joke because the boy proceeded to curl up next to him. He lowered his voice, "Richie, I think I'm too tired to watch a movie. You can still watch if you want."

"Nah, I'm tired too. Building our house took a lot out of me." He wrapped his arm around Eddie's small body, pulling him in close. "C-Can we leave the light on?"

Eddie smiled as he felt his friend's hair tickle his forehead. "Didn't plan on turning it off." 

**I'll go with you.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reddie Nation, rise up.
> 
> Twitter is @tegiebear


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